Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the El Segundo Blue Butterfly for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the El Segundo Blue

Butterfly for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the El

Segundo blue butterfly (Euphilotes battoides allyni). The El Segundo

blue butterfly occurs on local and private lands in southwestern Los

Angeles County, California. The Service solicits review and comment

from the public on this plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or

before December 29, 1997 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain

a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor at the following address:

Carlsbad Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2730 Loker

Avenue West, Carlsbad, California 92008. Telephone requests may be made

by calling 760/431-9440. Comments and material received are available

for public inspection by

[[Page 51125]]

appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Nagano at the above address and

telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point

where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is

a primary goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered

species program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is

working to prepare recovery plans for most of the listed species native

to the United States. Recovery plans describe actions considered

necessary for conservation of the species. They establish criteria for

the recovery levels necessary for downlisting or delisting the species.

They also provide an estimation of time and cost of implementing the

recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Amended (U.S.C. 1531 et

seq.) (Act) requires the development of recovery plans for listed

species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a

particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988,

requires that public notice, to provide an opportunity for public

review and comment, be given during plan development. The Service will

consider all significant information presented during a public comment

period, prior to the approval of each new or revised Recovery Plan. The

Service and other Federal agencies also will take these comments into

account in the course of implementing approved recovery plans.

The El Segundo blue butterfly has an extremely limited

distribution, and there are only three known extant populations. The

animal is currently known only from southwestern Los Angeles County,

California. The threats to the species include habitat loss and

invasive exotic species. Protection and management of its habitat and a

captive breeding program are the primary goals of the recovery effort.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan

described. All significant comments received by the date specified

above will be considered prior to the approval of the plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered

Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)).

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97-25841 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]

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